Unconditionally
by SingingLaLa
Summary: Why does Theresa keep holding on? A late night conversation leads to a few home truths for Ethan. T just to be safe, but a pretty mild story. Updated finally! Chapter 9 is now open for viewing! I hope you all like it.
1. Chapter 1

Unconditionally

She watched him from the side-entrance doorway, sighing at the lost look in his eyes. Beautiful crystal blue orbs that once held so much sparkle and life now held only a weary resignation.

_It doesn't have to be this way, Ethan._ Theresa thought sadly. _If only you would listen to your heart._

After witnessing him take what she counted to be his fourth shot of bourbon since she'd began watching him, she decided to make her presence known.

"I know what you're trying to do." she stated, entering the kitchen and coming to a stop behind him.

"And what's that, Theresa?" Ethan responded warily, not turning to look at her. Not wanting to face the pain and betrayal that he was sure must be written all over her expressive face. All he'd wanted was to sit and drink in peace. Forget, even if just for a little while, the mess he'd made of his life. But, as usual, Theresa wouldn't let him hide.

"You're trying to make me hate you."

"Excuse me!" forcing a laugh, he turned to face her, shooting her an incredulous look. "What is that supposed to mean? Why in the world would I be trying to make you hate me?"

"It's simple, really. You think that if you hurt me badly enough, I'll hate you. I'll move on. And then moving won't be so hard. You leaving won't hurt so much if I hate you. You think that it's easier to run from your emotions than to have to finally face up to them." shaking her head, Theresa chuckled. "You know, I never thought of you as a coward until now."

"Coward? I am _not_ a coward!" Ethan protested. "I'm trying to do what is best for my wife, to protect my marriage."

"Liar. You're protecting yourself. You're scared. Ever since your coma, your iron control over your heart, over your feelings, is all but disappearing and that terrifies you. Face it, Winthrop. I scare you."

"You do not scare me." his voice sounded weak to his own ears.

"Yes I do. You lose control around me. You're open and you feel. You're human, and not the perfect, untouchable image your mother raised you to be. We've seen every side of each other, Ethan. Laughed, cried, loved, fought, and done unspeakable things to each other. But despite all of the pain, you still love me, and I still love you. I'm still here. I think that's what scares you the most. That no matter how ugly things have been, no matter how much we put each other through, no matter how hard you try and push me away, I'm still here. And you don't know how to deal with that."

"How can you?" came the disbelieving reply. "How can you do that?"

Theresa smiled tenderly at this man she'd fought and almost died for, gently caressing his face.

"Because that's what true love is about. It's unconditional. No strings, no rules, no traps. And that's how I love you. Unconditionally. It's hard for you to accept and understand because you hadn't had a lot of it in your life. I get that." she sighed. "You certainly didn't get that kind of love from your mother or Julian growing up. And Gwen's too wrapped in her wants and needs to deal with yours."

"Gwen-"

"Gwen loves you as long as you toe her line. We both know that. She loves the golden boy she used to know. The man who did everything to please everybody else, especially her. But you aren't that person anymore. You haven't been for a while now. She doesn't want the real you. She doesn't even know the real you."

"And I suppose you do?" Ethan questioned belligerently.

Ignoring his tone, Theresa nodded confidently.

"You know I do. Just like you know me. Like you know there isn't a chance in hell I'm going to let you and your whacked out 'mommy dearest' of a wife take my baby girl to India with you without a fight."

"Please don't start on Gwen, Theresa. Not now."

"You're right. This isn't about Gwen. It's about us. When I came in here I told you that I knew what you were doing. I'm also going to tell you that it's not going to work. I'm not going to hate you, and running from the way you feel about me isn't going to stop those feelings. No matter where you go, no matter what you do, you will never, ever, be rid of me. I'll be in your heart, and on your mind. Every time you look at Jane, you'll see me and you'll wish I was there with you. Every night as you go to sleep, you'll wish it was me lying in bed next to you. When you and Gwen make love, you'll fantasize that it's me you're touching. Oh, you'll pretend you're happy with the way things are, but one day, pretending just isn't going to be enough. You're going to have to face your feelings, and deal with your fears."

"You're right." Ethan whispered, unable to deny the truth in her words. "But what am I supposed to do?" He asked, as if begging her to tell him what the right answer was.

"That's not for me to decide. You have enough people trying to force you to do what they want. I'm not going to be another voice to add to the list. Be a man, Winthrop. Be the man I loved all those years ago. The man I know is still in there somewhere. You decide what you want, and forget about what other people tell you is the right thing to do. It's not their life Ethan. It's yours."

Kissing him gently on the lips, she sighed, pulling away to look him dead in the eyes.

"I'm going to head up to my room and get some rest. You've got some serious thinking to do." Walking to the door, she turned to give one piece of advice. "Whatever your decision, all I ask is that you listen to your heart, and let it lead you. It won't steer you wrong."

With that, she was out the door and up the stairs, leaving him alone with his thoughts. She prayed he would take her words to heart, and allow his heart to lead him back where he belonged. Back to her, and the love they shared.

Ethan prayed. Prayed for the better part of three hours for divine intervention, for some sign from God to tell him what the right thing to do was. He knew what his heart would tell him. It would tell him the same thing it always told him. That he should be a family with the woman he loved. He just didn't know how to do that without destroying the woman he'd promised to 'love, honor, and cherish 'til death do we part', and hurting all the people who expected so much from him. As he prayed, Theresa's words came back to him.

"_It's not their life, Ethan. It's yours."_

She was right. It was his life. He was going to have to deal with his decision, and no one else. He knew what he had to do. It was time to face up to everything he'd been trying to hide from since the day he and Gwen had said I do. So what if it got ugly? If Theresa could be brave, and love unconditionally, so could he. He was going to start being the man Theresa thought him to be. And he was going to start tonight.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey y'all. Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews. And since you asked for it, here it is! The continuation of Unconditionally. Hope you enjoy it. I forgot to mention this in the first chap, so here is my disclaimer for the rest of the story: I don't own it. If I did, E/T would be happily married right now, and Gwen would be miserable. Thank you, have a nice day. ;)

Unconditionally-Chapter 2

He was going to do it. He _could_ do it. He _had_ to do it. However, entering he and Gwen's bedroom, Ethan's heart sank at finding his wife packing excitedly. The resolve he'd felt about his decision just moments before began to waiver.

_You knew this wasn't going to be easy_. He reminded himself. _In the long run, this is what's best for everyone. It's time to stop taking the easy way out, Winthrop._

"Gwen." he called, gathering up his courage for the conversation that was about to occur.

Abandoning her mad rush of packing, Gwen threw her arms around him, hugging him fiercely.

"This is all so wonderful, Ethan." She enthused, pulling away, smiling. "It almost seems too good to be true. I mean, you, Jane and I together in India. A real family! No Theresa to interfere. She can't hurt me anymore. Can't try to take you away again. I can finally have some peace!"

In fact, she found herself scared to believe it was actually happening. All the years of fighting Theresa, doing everything it took to come out on top, to keep Ethan with her, and she'd finally won. She had Theresa's "true love", she had Theresa's baby, and in a matter of days she would be home free. No more tabloid to haunt her, no more Theresa trying to destroy her and the happiness she deserved. It was so amazing Gwen couldn't help but let a smug smile rest on her lips.

"Gwen, we need to talk."

At his words, and the seriousness of how he spoke them, her smile faltered.

"Well, whatever it is, you can tell me while I'm packing." She responded, forcing the concern out of her voice, resuming placing clothes and other possessions in suitcases. _Don't panic. It's probably nothing. _She thought nervously. _Ethan loves you. He's moving to India for you. Just keep calm. _

"You know, you need to start packing too."

Walking over to her, Ethan placed a hand on her shoulder, halting her movements and turning her to face him.

"It's about our move." he told her, looking her in the eyes.

"What about India? It's going to be beautiful."

"There's not going to be an India. Not for us." Ethan responded, sighing as he sank down on the bed. "I haven't been fair, Gwen."

"Fair to whom? To Theresa? Honey, I know you try to see the good in everyone, and that for some reason unfathomable to me, you still care about her feelings, but we've been more than fair to her. She's brought everything that has happened on herself. And why won't there be an India?"

"I wasn't just talking about Theresa, although we both know that I haven't been fair to her. I was talking about us. About you and I and our marriage. I meant that I haven't been fair to you or to myself. But I'm going to change that now."

"I'm happy with the way things are. I don't feel that you've been unfair to me at all. And I _don't_ want anything to change." Gwen replied coldly. "I want us to do what we said we were going to do. Move to India and start over. That's what I want. That's what you promised me we were going to do. I don't see why anything has to change."

Her words hit him with the sharpness of a bucket of ice water being thrown in his face. He looked at his wife as if seeing her for the first time in a long time. What he saw disturbed and saddened him. Her once beautiful face, full of life and charm, had become a contorted mask of bitterness and contempt. There was none of the warmth he'd once seen in her eyes. He realized again that he was making the right decision.

"You may not want to hear this, Gwen, but not everything is about you."

"Of course it isn't. It's about poor, mistreated, misunderstood Saint Theresa!"

"No! God, I wish you'd listen to me. Just hear what I am saying! This isn't about Theresa!" Ethan took a deep, calming breath. "This is about me. For once I'm thinking about what I want, as well as what's best for everyone else."

"Oh, now you're an expert on what's best for everyone else! Isn't that great! And just so we can be clear, what do you want? Because the way you've been going back and forth on that issue, I'm kind of confused!"

"I'm not an expert. But I know that we can't go on living this way. We all deserve better than this." He answered calmly, doing his best to keep control of his turbulent emotions. Angry as he was, he refused to get into a shouting match. It wasn't going to help anything. "Gwen, you deserve someone who can focus on you, and you alone. Someone who looks at you and sees only you, and how beautiful you are to him. I'm sorry, but that person is not me. I wish it were." Ethan paused, knowing once he said the words there was no going back. Gwen would be completely devastated. But he was ready, he realized, and was surprised to discover that while he hated having to hurt her, he felt little guilt for the words that were about to escape his lips. It felt good to finally be completely honest not only with Gwen, but with himself. Looking his wife in the eyes, he continued.

"You asked me what I want? Well, as much as I never expected to say these words…I want a divorce, Gwen."

What little color remained in her face disappeared at his statement. She had expected them, but expecting didn't make it hurt any less. She refused to cry, however. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her break down. Forcing back the tears that threatened, she channeled the pain she felt into a ball of white-hot rage. If he was going to hurt her…she was going to hurt him.

While he'd known Gwen had a temper, and that she could be violent when angry, Ethan hadn't been prepared for the sudden fierce crack of her hand slamming into his cheek.

"You lying scumbag!" she roared, her face distorted by rage. "You promised me! After Sarah died, you swore you wouldn't leave me again! You promised on Sarah's _grave_! And now you tell me that it meant nothing!"

"Of course it meant something. I wanted us to work, Gwen. I thought if I pushed myself enough, and ignored what my heart was telling me, that I could make myself be the man you wanted and needed. I thought I could go back to being the man I was before this whole mess started. But I can't. I can't be the man you need. And I'm sorry about that. But it's just not right for us to keep acting like things can go back to the way they were."

"Sure you did. You're a liar, Ethan! I can't believe I trusted you. I thought you loved me. But you never got over her. It'll always be Theresa for you." The calm of Gwen's voice belied the hatred and anger encompassed in her eyes. "Why couldn't you just forget her!" she exploded.

"Because you just don't _forget_ something like she and I shared!" Ethan answered, his frustration taking over. "I couldn't just turn off my feelings like a faucet! Maybe you could, but I can't!" Taking a deep breath, he sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to end like this. It's late, and people are trying to rest. Us yelling at each other like this isn't going to solve anything." He rose up from the bed. "I'll sleep in one of the guest rooms tonight. Tomorrow I'll work on finding a place to stay." With that he quietly walked out the door.

Grabbing a vase by the bedside, Gwen threw it at the door as it eased shut, taking a strange senseof comfort at the sound of shattering glass.

"You'll pay for this Ethan! If you think I'm going to make it that easy on you, you've got another thing coming!"

_ I'm not about to let you ride off into the sunset with Theresa. You think you can just waltz in here, tell me you want a divorce, and that's it? Not a chance. It'll be cold day in hell before that happens, Ethan. Just you wait and see._


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews. They truly do mean a lot to me. You guys' reviews inspire me to write more, and to try to write better. So keep 'em coming! The more you review, the faster I write. Just please, for the love of God, no plot bunnies until the end of this semester. ;) But enough of my babbling. Here's chapter 3! I hope you enjoy it.

**Unconditionally-Chapter 3**

Sleep eluded her. With the raised voices emanating from down the hall, Theresa's inability to rest was not surprising to her. If she could have been a fly on the wall in that room she gladly would have. What was happening in there would affect her whole life, and the life of her children. And while the raised voices gave her reason to hope, Theresa forced herself to curb her natural optimism.

_Don't get your hopes up too high_. She told herself. _You've been through this before, and it only ended in heartache._

When Theresa told Ethan she knew him, she had meant it. She knew he loved her, and Jane, and Ethan Martin. Knew that while he hated hurting her, he didn't seem to know how to stop. Knew how scared he was, and how easily Gwen could manipulate him, using his guilt over Sarah and Nathan to control him. And she feared that no matter how much they loved each other, it wouldn't be enough to overcome that guilt.

The sound of her door slowly creaking open drew Theresa out of her reverie. Sitting up, she turned on the lamp, pushing her tumultuous thoughts aside for the moment.

"Ethan Martin, what are you doing up, sweetie?" She asked, smiling comfortingly at her son.

"I can't sleep with all of the yelling." The little boy responded, walking to the bed, sitting next to his mother. Theresa nodded in understanding.

"I see. They are kinda loud, huh?"

Ethan Martin nodded.

"Yeah. Why does everybody fight around here?"

"Well, sweetie, people fight for a lot of reasons. They misunderstand each other, or say things they may or may not mean. Sometimes, it's just plain old unhappiness or anger." Theresa sighed. "I think that there are just a lot of unhappy people living in this mansion."

"Are you unhappy, mommy?" He asked, shocking his mother with the innocence and sincerity of his question.

"At times, yes." Theresa answered honestly. "But most of the time, I'm the happiest woman in the world, and do you know why?"

"No, why?"

"Because I am lucky. I've got you, my sweet boy, and your sister Jane, even though she is with Gwen and Ethan right now. And that's a lot to be thankful for."

"Mom." Ethan Martin groaned, rolling his eyes, drawing a chuckle from his mother.

"So, now that I've answered your question, I've got a question for you. Are you happy?"

"Yeah. But I don't like living here with Grandpa Alistair, and I wish we could go back home."

"So do I, mi niño. And one day we will. I promise."

Theresa smiled, pushing away her dark thoughts, determined to cheer up her son.

"Hey, I've got an idea. Why don't we go visit the nursery, and see if Jane's up, too?"

"Can we!" The little boy responded excitedly.

"I don't see why not. But we'll have to be very, very quiet just in case she is asleep, okay?"

"Okay."

Hand in hand the two walked out of the room, quickly passing through the hallway on their way to the nursery. When they arrived, they found Jane standing in her crib, smiling happily at them.

"Well hi there, beautiful girl!" Theresa exclaimed, picking her daughter up, snuggling her close. "I guess all the loudness woke you up too, huh?" she tickled Jane's stomach, chuckling at her little baby giggles. She'd missed being able to hold her daughter, play with her. It had been her main thought when agreeing to getting involved with Alistair. She would do whatever it took to get Jane back in her arms permanently.

"Can I hold her, mommy?"

"Sure, sweetheart. But you'll have to sit in the rocking chair."

Excitedly settling in the rocking chair, the little boy reached out for his baby sister. Placing her gently in his arms and stepping back, Theresa couldn't help but smile at the picture they made. Jane grinning an adoringly gummy smile at her big brother as he rocked back and forth, talking to her about what he'd done that day. As painful as the situations surrounding both of her children's conceptions were, she would not have traded having her children for anything. Other than Ethan, her children truly were her life. They were what kept her going.

_How could you think I would let you take our daughter away to another country half a world away, Ethan?_

"What is going on here!" A shrill voice coming from behind her yelled, pulling Theresa from her thoughts. Sighing, she turned, coming face to face with the woman who's main mission in life was to make her life a living nightmare.

"Calm down, Gwen. Little Ethan couldn't sleep with all of the yelling, so he and I decided to come visit Jane."

"You have NO RIGHT to be in here!" Gwen raged, glaring at Theresa. "Jane is MY DAUGHTER, Theresa. The courts gave her to Ethan and I. And I don't want you and your poison around her, you tramp!"

Biting back a retort, Theresa turned, taking Jane from Ethan Martin's arms, placing her in her crib. Turning back to her son, she smiled comfortingly.

"Honey, it's getting late. Why don't you head to your room, and I'll be there in a minute to read you a story. Okay?"

Ethan Martin nodded hesitantly, casting a fearful glance at Gwen. He still had the occasional nightmare from his time under her "care".

"Okay, mommy." he responded, hugging Theresa tightly, giving her a kiss on the cheek, then quickly walked past Gwen. He didn't like this blonde woman and how she treated his mother. He hated her for taking him from his mother, and for taking his sister away. He didn't understand how his "Daddy Ethan" could stay with her. And he didn't trust her not to hurt his mommy again. He stopped at the door, turning to give his mother a worried glance.

"It's alright, honey." Theresa reassured him. "I'll be there in just a minute. Promise."

Nodding uncertainly at his mother's words, Ethan Martin left, disappearing down the hallway.

Taking a last look at Jane, Theresa took a deep breath, turning her attention to Gwen.

"What do you say we take this downstairs?" She suggested.

"Why should I go anywhere with you?"

"Because what I have to say to you, Gwen, is not for little ears to hear. I refuse to get into this with you in front of my daughter. I won't do that to her."

"Fine. For Jane's sake. I don't want to hurt my little girl."

Rolling her eyes at Gwen's words, Theresa held her tongue, nodding.

"Good. Thank you. Let's go."

Not waiting for a response, she walked out of the nursery, heading in the direction of the downstairs living room. She'd had it. It was bad enough that Gwen insisted upon calling Jane her daughter, but the days of Gwen degrading and insulting her in front of her children were over.

She'd done what she could to shelter her children from the madness of what was going on between she, Ethan and Gwen. Gwen, however, seemed to have no compunction about drawing children into a battle they had nothing to do with. But that was going to stop tonight. This was not their fight, and Theresa was not going to let the bleached-blonde terror turn her children into casualties of this war that raged between them. It was not going to happen. Arriving at her destination, she waited for her nemesis to catch up.

Moments later, Gwen arrived in the living room.

"Okay. Now that we're here, all I have to say is that you'd better stay away from my daughter."

"Get it through your head, Gwen. Jane is _my_ daughter. Ethan's and mine."

"Yes, because you _drugged_ him and put on a blonde wig! And the courts gave us custody of Jane, so she _is_ my daughter. And I don't want a slut like you influencing her."

"You know what, Gwen? Call me a slut, whore, baby-killer, whatever. I don't care. We both know what you really are, and what the truth is, so your words don't have any effect on me. But when you do it around my children, that is a different story." her eyes turned stone cold before continuing. "If you ever speak to or about me like that in front of my children again, I will not only take you down, I will take you _out_."

"You don't scare me, Theresa." Gwen replied, forcing herself to ignore the shiver that ran down her spine at the brunette's words. "Jane is mine now! So is Ethan. I don't know what you've done to seduce him away from me, but I won't let you have him! We're going to be together! I will get him back! He's mine, Theresa! Do you hear me!"

Theresa fought back a smile at the implication behind Gwen's words. _He chose me. Ethan's leaving Gwen. We're going to be a family._ A sense of peace came over her. Maybe, just maybe, Fate was back on her side.

"The whole mansion can hear you, Gwen." Theresa responded calmly. "I wouldn't be surprised if the whole of Harmony could hear. But you know what? I haven't done anything, and I refuse to discuss Ethan with you right now. It's late, and my son is waiting for a bedtime story. I'm going to give Jane a kiss goodnight and go tuck him in. Just remember what I said. Leave Ethan Martin and Jane out of this." she smiled coolly as she headed out of the living room, turning as she reached the entryway. "Have a good night, Gwen." With that, Theresa walked out of the living room and upstairs, Gwen staring after her, raw, seething hatred shining from her eyes.

_If you only knew how much I loathe you._ She thought. _Before you came, Ethan and I were happy. We were going to have it all. Then you had to come along and ruin everything with your wide-eyed innocence and dark, bewitching beauty. You destroyed everything. But you won't win. I won't let you. I will do whatever it takes to bring you down. I many not be able to have Ethan, but I refuse to let him run back to your arms._

Theresa lay beside Ethan Martin, her thoughts racing as she forced herself to focus on the storybook in front of her. Gwen's words kept replaying in her head.

_Could what Gwen said really mean what I think it does? Has Ethan followed his heart _

_back to me? After all of this time…could we finally be together…and happy?_

As she finished the story, she glanced at the sleeping boy beside her. He had been her saving grace in the years after she and Ethan had parted. And she would have given anything to give him the complete family she herself had never had. She smiled at the image of image of her son and the man she loved playing catch, while she and Jane looked on from where they were playing 'tea party'. It was a dream she'd had countless times before, only now, it was even sweeter. Because now, it had a chance of coming true.


	4. Chapter 4

**Unconditionally-Chapter 4**

As he awoke, it took Ethan a few moments to adjust to his surroundings. Closing his eyes against the glaring of the sun streaming through the window, the events of the previous evening came flooding back to him. But instead of the gnawing sense of doubt he'd expected, all Ethan felt was relief. Relief at finally doing what was right for himself. Relief at being able to look himself in the mirror and not see a complete fraud staring back at him.

_No more lies._ He thought, rising out of bed and entering the room's adjoining bathroom to take a shower. _No more wishing for one thing, but doing and accepting another._

As he stood underneath the shower's steady stream of hot water, Ethan considered the chaos that would surely ensue once news of the divorce came out. Rebecca would go ballistic, as would his mother. He and Gwen's mutual friends would give him the cold shoulder. Even Pilar would be disapproving. Despite this knowledge, he couldn't bring himself to regret his decision, and refused to change his mind.

_Not everyone will hate you._ He assured himself. _And even if they do, at least you won't hate yourself any more. _

Stepping out of the shower and wrapping himself in a towel, Ethan exited the bathroom only to realize that amidst all the night's drama, he had forgotten to get his clean clothes from the bedroom after he and Gwen's confrontation. He sighed, dreading having to go back to the room.

"It's either go back and face her, or walk around in this towel all day." He muttered. Double-checking that the towel was secure, he walked out into the hallway, thankful he had chosen a room not too far away. Quickly making his way down the hallway, he was grateful when he reached the room with no one having caught him the way he was. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door. Waiting and receiving no response, Ethan raised his arm to

knock again when the door opened.

Gwen's eyes widened in disbelief at the sight standing before her. Ethan, clad in only a towel, a sheepish expression on his handsome face. A tiny thrill of hope spread through her.

_He's come back to me._ She thought. _He loves me, and he realizes he's made a mistake. _

"Ethan." She greeted. "What are you doing here…and why are you half-naked?

"Gwen, I'm sorry, but I-" Ethan began, only to be interrupted by Gwen throwing her arms around him, the force of the collision nearly knocking him down.

"I knew you'd come back! Of course I forgive you." She hugged him tightly. "I understand that Theresa made you act like you did. She's poison, Ethan. That's why we need to leave. We need to take Jane and go far, far away where Theresa can never hurt us again."

"No, Gwen. I won't have you talking about Theresa like that." Ethan gently extricated himself from her arms. "I'm sorry, I don't want to cause you any more pain, but you didn't let me finish what I was going to say." He sighed, hating the crestfallen look on her face. "I'm not here because I've changed my mind."

"Well then why are you here?"

_This could get ugly_. Ethan thought, taking a deep breath before answering.

"When I left last night, I forgot to get my clothes. I need to get them."

"Clothes?" Gwen responded incredulously. "You came for your clothes?" Her normally pale face began to turn red.

_Yep. Definitely going to be ugly._ He decided, nodding in response to her statements.

"Yes, I did. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding."

"Fine." Stalking over to the closet, Gwen began grabbing articles of clothing. "You want your clothes?" She fumed. "Here are you precious clothes!"

Ethan found himself being attacked by his wardrobe as his soon-to-be-ex-wife emptied

closets and drawers, sending shirts, pants, and all of his other clothing flying out of the door into the hallway.

"Gwen, stop it!" he protested, grabbing the suit she held in her hands, setting it aside. "I realize your hurting, but that's no reason to behave like a child."

"A child? Oh, so now I'm acting like a child? What, I'm not allowed to be angry, is that it? I'm just supposed to understand and accept that you're leaving me, and that you've given up on our marriage. Well let me tell you something, Mr. Winthrop. You don't get to tell me how to feel or act anymore! You think me throwing your clothes is childish! You're lucky I didn't take a pair of scissors and cut them into tiny little pieces!" Turning to walk back to the closet, she reemerged moments later, her arms loaded with shoes.

"My throwing the clothes in the hallway wasn't childish, Ethan." She informed him. Grabbing a pair of dress shoes, she took aim and hurled the loafers at his head, the element of surprise allowing them to hit their intended target. "This, is childish!"

"Ow! Christ, Gwen, what is wrong with you!" he asked. He realized as he began dodging the rest of his flying footwear that it had probably been the wrong question.

"I…trusted…you! I…thought…you…loved…me!" she yelled, punctuating her words with the tossing of another pair of shoes.

"Feeling better?" Ethan questioned once she'd run out of ammunition.

"Actually, yes. I'm not going to make things easy on you, Ethan. I'm going to fight you on this all the way. I'll box up all of your things and leave them in the hall for you. But unless you're coming to apologize and come back to me, I want you to stay away from me." Gwen

ordered coldly, slamming the door shut.

Taking a deep breath, Ethan began picking up his clothes, laying them in one neat pile.

"Wow." a soft voice stated from behind him. "It looks like a tornado swept through here."

Chuckling, he turned to see Theresa looking on with an amused smile.

"Yeah, Gwen and I had a little misunderstanding."

"So I heard. I guess it's a good thing the nanny took Little Ethan and Jane out to play earlier."

"Probably."

"That's actually why I came by. To let you know where Jane was." Theresa looked over Ethan with an appreciative eye. "Not that I'm not enjoying the view, but what exactly are you doing running around the mansion in nothing but a towel?" She questioned. "And what exactly happened to cause "Hurricane Gwen" to erupt?"

"Long story." Ethan sighed. "Realized a little late that I'd forgotten to get clothes. Gwen didn't take it well that I came back for the clothes instead of her."

"Ah…I see." Taking a closer look at his face, her eyes widened with concern at the bruising on his cheek. "What happened to your face?"

"Oh, that. It's nothing. I wasn't fast enough to dodge a pair of flying Italian loafers." He answered sheepishly.

"Ouch." Closing the gap between them, Theresa gently checked the area. With as close as they were, and fact that Ethan was half-naked, she found it hard to focus.

Ethan fought to even his heart rate. _Keep cool._ He told himself as Theresa continued her examination of his cheek.

"There doesn't seem to be any cuts. But still, that bruise is pretty bad. I'll go downstairs

and get you an ice pack while you pick this stuff up."

"Oh, um, thanks." He responded, sighing as he watched her head downstairs. It was hard to believe the effect a simple touch from her had on him. Even before Theresa, when all he'd known was Gwen, he'd never felt the same spark while kissing her as he did from just holding hands with Theresa. There was no comparison, he realized.

_And you're the idiot who thought he could walk away._ He chastised himself.

Finishing the cleaning up process, Ethan decided to go down and meet Theresa instead of waiting for her to come to him. He found her in the kitchen, putting the last of the ice cubes in an ice pack, twisting the cap back on.

"You know, you really don't have to do that. I'll be fine." He told her, leaning against the door frame."

Turning, Theresa gave him a look that brooked no argument, walking over and handing him the ice pack.

"It's not a big deal. Besides, it looks painful and this will reduce the swelling. We wouldn't want anything to mar that pretty little face of yours, now would we?" She teased.

"Pretty? _Pretty?_ Theresa, you should know better than to call a man "pretty". We're rugged, or handsome, maybe even debonair, but never, ever, are we to be called _pretty_."

"Well excuse me, oh offended one." Theresa rolled her eyes amusedly, then looked back at him. "So…that must have been some misunderstanding for her to start throwing your shoes at you."

"Yeah. You could say that."

"You said you'd forgotten to pick up your clothes…does that mean what I think it means?"

"Depends on what you think it means." Ethan answered cryptically as he took a step closer to her.

"Well, considering the conversation, or I should say confrontation, Gwen and I had last night where she accused me of 'seducing you' away from her and swore that she would 'get you back', I think it means that you finally made a decision." She responded quietly, moving closer to him. "At least, that's what I hope it means."

Closing what little distance was left between them, Ethan smiled softly. He could feel her heart beating, pounding in the same rhythm as his.

"That's exactly what it means." He whispered, sitting the ice pack on the counter, lowering to look her in the eyes, their lips inches apart. The desire between the pair was palpable. "I finally know exactly what I want. And I'm willing to fight for it." With those words he captured her lips in a kiss that was full of heat and promise.

Theresa wound her arms around Ethan's neck, almost scared to believe that what was happening was real and not another one of her fantasies. That she wouldn't wake up and be back in her cold, lonely bed. But somehow, she knew that it was real, and that Fate had finally smiled upon her. A sense of peace washed over her.

Unfortunately, this peace was short-lived, as the moment was shattered by a shocked, furious voice uttering,

"Oh my God! What is going on here! Theresa, get your hands off of my son!"

Reluctantly pulling away, Ethan turned to face the intruder.

"Hello, Mother."


	5. Chapter 5

**Unconditionally-Chapter 5**

_She's a disease._ Ivy Winthrop decided as she stared in disbelief at the pair that stood before her. Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald Crane was a nasty insidious disease virus, infecting everything and everyone she touched with her poison. And once a poor helpless victim was infected, it seemed that there was no cure. Especially if the victim didn't want to be cured.

"Don't 'Hello, mother' me." She glared her displeasure. "I come to visit and find you and this tramp all over each other!"

"That's enough!" Ethan protested, placing himself between Theresa and his mother.

"No, not enough." Ivy responded. "What are you thinking, Ethan? You're _married_. To Gwen, who loves you and has always been there for you. And in case you've forgotten, this…_creature_ is married, too. She aligned herself with Alistair in another one of her sick attempts to break up your marriage."

"I married Alistair to get my daughter back!" Theresa finally reacted to the venom that was being spewed forth.

A maliciously satisfied smile lit Ivy's face as she continued. "So you say. Nevertheless, your motives hardly matter at this point. You're his property now. And we all know that Alistair isn't keen on sharing."

"Stop it, Mother!" Ethan roared angrily. "Don't talk to Theresa like that!" Taking a deep, calming breath, he continued. "You don't know everything that's happened. Gwen and I are getting a divorce."

"Oh no. Son, no. You can't."

"Yes I can. I am."

"I thought you and Gwen were happy. You both seemed so excited about India, and the

chance to be a family. Don't do this, Ethan."

"No. I wasn't happy. I haven't been happy for a long time. And I'm sick of pretending just to make life easier on everybody else. I've spent too much of my life pretending. I love you, Mother. But I won't let you or anyone else control my life anymore. I'm filing in the next few days and there is nothing you can do to change my mind."

"I'm not trying to control your life. I'm trying to stop you from making the biggest mistake of your life by destroying your marriage for a whore who doesn't deserve you. "

"I am not a whore!" Theresa denied the insult. "And how dare you judge me when you are far from innocent yourself?"

Grabbing Theresa's hand, giving it a comforting squeeze, Ethan took a step forward, locking eyes with his mother. Seeing the fury contained in her son's eyes shook Ivy.

"For the last time, do _not_ speak to or about Theresa that way. Whether you like it or not, she is going to be a part of my life. She is not only the love of my life, she's the mother of my child. We're going to be together. In fact, if things work out the way I hope, Theresa will be your daughter-in-law some day soon. So I suggest you accept it and start getting used to the idea. Because I will not sit back and let you run roughshod over her anymore. Don't make me choose between you or my future and family with Theresa, mother. You won't like the result."

"I'm sorry, but I cannot accept you deciding to ruin your life."

"Then you won't be a part of it."

"Excuse me?" Ivy responded in disbelief at her son's words.

"I'm saying that until you can respect my wishes and the way I want to live my life, and

until you stop going after Theresa, you are no longer welcome in my life. I'm not asking you to

love her, mother. I'm simply asking you to be civil. If that's too much for you, then I'm sorry, but I don't want to see or be around you."

"Wait! Stop!" Theresa protested, moving to place herself between the man she loved and his mother, hoping to cool off what was becoming an overly heated confrontation. As much as she thrilled at Ethan's standing up for her, the last thing she wanted was to cause a rift between he and his family. "Ethan, please, you don't have to do this. Not because of me."

Looking at Theresa, Ethan smiled softly at the concern in her voice. It amazed him to no end the things that she would do for those she loved. She'd proven it countless times before. This time, however, it was his turn. He'd told her he was willing to fight for what he wanted, and he had meant it. He'd also had enough of his mother thinking she could run his life.

"Yes, I do have to do this. You're worth it." He assured her. "And this isn't just because of you." Turning back to face his mother, Ethan's smile vanished. "You know where I stand. The ball is in your court."

"You're obviously determined to follow through with this. I'll see myself out." Ivy stated her voice chilly. Walking to the door, she paused before exiting to announce. "Your father will hear of this Ethan. And he will be just as upset as I am about what you are doing." With those parting words she exited the mansion.

"Well, that went horribly." Theresa sighed. "I'm sorry. I know how important family is to you."

"Family is important." Ethan agreed. "But as much as I love my mom and dad, and my brothers and sisters, from this point on you and the children are my family. And I'll do whatever it takes to make our family work." He promised, taking her hands in his. "Besides, I am not completely giving up on mother just yet. Let's give her some time to cool down, get over the

shock of it all, and then see what she does. If she changes her mind, that's great. If she doesn't,

then it's her loss. She's the one who'll miss getting to watch Jane and Ethan Martin grow up."

"I know we haven't had the greatest past, but I really do hope she changes her mind. I would hate for you two, or for you and anyone else in your family, not to be on speaking terms because of me."

Ethan sighed at her words. Despite her confident demeanor, he'd always known Theresa could be fairly insecure. It bothered him that she thought so little of herself.

"Despite what some may try and make you think, Theresa, not every bad thing that happens is your fault. I love you 'Resa. I know I haven't shown you that a lot in the past few years. We've hurt each other so badly that sometimes I'm surprised we're both still standing. But I do love you, and I want to make sure you know that. This isn't your fault. It's been a long time coming, and now was just the moment for it to come out. If mom and I don't speak anymore, it's on she and I, not you. Okay?"

"O-Okay."

"Good. Now, I think I'd better go upstairs and get changed. The last thing I want to is for someone else to walk in on me wearing nothing but a towel."

"Why not? You could start a whole new trend in fashion!" Theresa grinned teasingly, forcing the unpleasantness with Ivy out of her mind for the time being.

"I don't think so. I'm not sure the world is quite ready for the 'just got out of the shower' look." Ethan chuckled. "I'll be back down in a few minutes."

"All right. Maybe when Jane and Ethan Martin get back, we can get some food together and go have a picnic. I know that Ethan Martin has been missing spending time with you sinceall of this craziness with Alistair began."

"I like the sound of that. I've missed the little guy, too. It'll be great to spend some time

with him and my two favorite girls."

"Okay then. Hurry up and change and I'll go have the cook whip us up some picnic food. The kids should be back any minute."

"I'll be right back down." Ethan stated, stealing one last kiss before turning and heading upstairs.

Sighing happily, Theresa made her way to the kitchen, only to take a detour at the sound of someone knocking on the door. Answering the door, she smiled at the visitor.

"Chad!" She squealed, hugging him, thrilled to see a friendly face.

"It's good to see you too, T." Chad said, surprise in his voice as he hugged her back.

Blushing, Theresa let go of his neck and pulled back.

"Sorry about that. Been a long, crazy morning. What brings you up on Raven Hill?"

"Actually I was hoping to talk with Ethan. We were supposed to hang out today, but I've got a group coming in to do some recording and need to reschedule. Figured since I was already in this part of town that I'd just drop by to tell him."

"Well, he's upstairs changing right now. He'll be down any minute though."

"That's cool. Hey, as I pulled in the drive I saw Ivy leaving. Man, she was speedin' like a bat outta hell. Did you and she get into it again or somethin'?"

"Kind of…she walked in on something that she wasn't supposed to see."

"Such as…"

"Such as Ethan and I in the foyer making out."

"You and Ethan making out? No wonder she was pissed. So does this mean what I think it means?"

Theresa nodded, smiling nervously.

"Yeah."

"When did this happen?"

"It started last night. We argued in the kitchen. I told him to follow his heart. He did, and it led him back to me."

"As we all knew it would. But what about Gwen?"

"They're getting a divorce. He says he's sure about it."

"I knew my boy would wise up sooner or later." Chad grinned.

"So you don't think that Ethan and I are horrible for doing this?"

"Of course not, T. I'm happy for you guys." He assured, hugging her.

"You have no idea how much that means." Theresa returned the hug. "These next few months aren't going to be easy. We're going to need as many people in our corner as we can get."

"You can count on me. I'm just glad that my man finally came to his senses."

"So am I." Theresa agreed, smiling happily. "It feels like things might finally be working out for us. All I've ever wanted is for Ethan and I to be together, to be a family. And for the first time in a long time, that actually seems possible."

"Of course it's possible." An amused voice stated from the stairwell. Turning, they found Ethan standing at the bottom of the staircase, smiling. "That's what's going to happen." He told her, closing the distance between them and taking her in his arms. Placing a kiss on her lips, he turned to face his friend.

"Hey there, Chad."

"Hey man. I heard the good news. About time, bro."

"I know. I'm a slow learner, I guess. So, I take it we have your support."

"You know it. If you need me, I'm there. Just don't screw it up this time."

"I won't." Ethan assured, drawing Theresa even closer to him. "Not this time."

_I'm not going to make the same mistake again._ He thought._ This time I'm standing by Theresa, no matter what._


	6. Chapter 6

Unconditionally-Chapter 6

Looking up at the sound of the front door slamming, Sam Bennett sent a concerned look in his fiancée's direction. The look on her face told him that there was going to be trouble. She looked fit to kill.

"What's wrong?" he questioned. "I thought that you were going to spend time with Ethan, Gwen and Jane before they left for India."

"Everything is wrong, Sam." Ivy responded angrily. "Our son has lost his mind. The guacamole Theresa poisoned him with must have caused more brain damage than we first thought. It's the only explanation."

"Explanation for what?"

"For the mistake he's making! He's being selfish, and it's all her influence."

"Ahhh. So this is about Theresa." Sam stated, sure of the answer before the response was formed.

"Yes! He's letting her back into his life." Ivy fumed, pacing through the living room. "It's bad enough that refuses to kick her out of his heart. But after all that she's done, all of her scheming…after everything she has cost him, he can't seem to get her out of his system. Says he wants to be with her. He's getting a divorce, Sam! She's somehow convinced him to leave Gwen! We have got to do something!" Pausing, she took a deep breath. "We can't let him ruin his life like this."

"Ethan's getting a divorce to get back together with Theresa?" Sam repeated, attempting

to process the information he'd just received.

"Unless we can find a way to stop him. He told me we can either accept that he's going to be with Theresa, or we are no longer a welcome part of his life. That we will no longer be part of his family. He will not see or speak to us again. It's all her doing! She's brainwashed him!"

Taking a deep breath, Sam considered his words carefully before speaking.

"Or maybe, just maybe, our son has decided once and for all what he wants. If he has, and it's Theresa, then so be it. He's a grown man, and is capable of making his own decisions."

"Don't tell me you approve of this! It's madness!"

"No, what's madness is the back and forth that's been going on these past few years. All that's come from it is pain. If Ethan is making moves to end it, good for him."

"Even if it means he destroys himself by reuniting with _her_?"

"Sweetheart, I know you and Theresa have a rocky history. Both of you have made mistakes. But I've known Theresa all of her life. She's a wonderful, loving young woman, in spite of the way she dives into things without thinking. And while you may not like it, even you have to admit that she truly does love him."

"Obsessed with him is more like it."

"Now Ivy, you know that's not true. The things she's done are not because of an obsession. She is in love with him, and has shown that in so many ways. She nearly gave her life for him twice. And we all know that he loves her. That he's in love with her."

"But the things she's done-"

"She's not perfect." Sam interrupted. "I'm not saying that. But neither are you. You did some pretty devious, far out things to try and break up my marriage, if I remember correctly." He

kissed her before continuing. "But in spite of and I think in some ways because of the things you've done, I love you. Just like Ethan is still in love with Theresa. The two of you are not as different as you think."

"Please do not compare me with her. It's insulting. I don't understand why he

wouldn't listen, Sam. I tried to reason with him, but he refused to hear it. I don't know how I can sit back and accept this. Allow this to happen. Maybe if you spoke with him, he would see that staying with Gwen is the right thing to do."

Sighing, Sam shook his head. "I'm sorry, Ivy. I love you, but if you're determined to fight Ethan on this, I won't stand behind you. Whatever he does, I will support him. You're going to have to allow what's going to happen to happen, or risk losing not only our son, but also the chance to know our grandchildren. He's not a little boy any more, sweetheart. You need to let go. And if you want him to listen to you, stop bashing the woman he loves. I'm not saying you have to become best friends with Theresa overnight, but give it a shot. You draw more flies with honey than with vinegar, as the saying goes."

_I cannot believe he is going to support our son getting back together with that tramp. Although, he does have a point…the more I clash with Theresa, the more Ethan will dig his heels in._

A plan began to form in her mind.

"You're right." She declared, smiling at her fiancé. "Give me time to adjust and I'll go apologize. It's going to be hard, but if being with Theresa makes Ethan happy I guess I'll just have to deal with it."

"I'm happy to hear that. I know Ethan will be, too." Sam returned the smile, pulling Ivy into his arms. "You'll see. It won't be so bad."

"No. Not bad at all."

  

"Gwennie, it's mother." Rebecca Hotchkiss Crane stated, knocking on her daughter's bedroom door. "Please, sweetie. Let mommy in."

She had been at the Harmony Country Club, enjoying a fabulous time with a particularly "talented" tennis instructor, when the ringing of her cell phone had interrupted their "lesson". When she had answered to discover Ivy on the other line, Rebecca had been in the process of hanging up on her nemesis when Ivy had uttered the words Ethan, Gwen, and divorce. Furious did not even begin to describe the rage that had coursed through her veins as she'd learned the details of what had been going on in her home. She'd quickly gathered her things and rushed back to the Crane Mansion, plotting all the way home ways to get Theresa out of their lives, and Ethan back into Gwen's arms.

_I do not understand how a daughter of mine could have so much trouble keeping a man. _She thought. _Especially when her competition is the housekeeper's daughter._

At the sound of footsteps approaching the door, Rebecca plastered a sympathetic look on her face. The sight that stood before her as the door opened caused her eyes to widen. Gwen's eyes were red and puffy, and there was a hint of madness lurking beneath their usually cool exterior. It was also fairly obvious that she hadn't bathed.

"What do you want?" Gwen demanded listlessly.

"Ivy called and said I needed to get home." Rebecca informed her, entering the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. "She told me about what happened."

"Great. That's just fabulous. So everyone knows now? All of Harmony knows my husband left me for that slut!"

"No, no sweetheart. I don' think everyone knows. Not yet at least. And even if they do, you can't worry about that. You've got to focus, sweetie."

"On what, Mother? I have nothing left. Even with all we've done to keep them apart, Ethan still left me for Theresa. I lost him, I've lost Jane. It's over, Mother."

"No, it's not. I know you're hurting, Gwennie-poo. And I hate that Latina tramp for causing you more pain. But you can't just give up! I won't let you. You and Ethan aren't divorced yet, and if I have anything to say about it, you never will be. I'm here now, and we'll work this out. There is no way we're going to let that Taco Queen tramp win. Over my dead body."

"I'm so glad you're here, mother." Gwen hugged her mother tightly. "I know you'll think of something. You always do."

"Of course I will, Gwennie. You know I love you. I want what's best for you, and what makes you happy."

_And I could not abide the shame of having everyone know that you lost your husband to a piece of trash like Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald. I would simply die of embarrasment._

"I want to destroy her, mother." Gwen stated, pulling away from Rebecca's embrace. "That would make me happy. I want there to be nothing left of her but little bits and pieces, and I want to burn those bits and pieces and scatter the ashes in a million different places so that she can't come back to haunt me any more."

At the venom in her daughter's voice, Rebecca smiled proudly.

"Now that's my girl. If that's what you want, then that's what we'll do." Going to the closet and picking out an outfit, she returned to Gwen's side. "Go take a shower, and then we'll start thinking up a battle plan."

Nodding, Gwen took the clothes, grabbing a towel on her way to the bathroom.

As her daughter showered, Rebecca's eyes gleamed at the ideas that shaped in her mind.

"Tacosita will never know what hit her."


	7. Chapter 7

Unconditionally-Chapter 7

Watching the man she loved chase her son around the yard from the nursery window as she rocked Jane to sleep, Theresa smiled. It was nice to finally have a peaceful moment. The week following she and Ethan's midnight conversation and his decision to divorce Gwen had been tumultuous and bittersweet. As the news of Ethan's decision had spread through Harmony, it seemed that everyone had their own opinion on the situation. Sam had stopped by to give his blessing, asking them to give Ivy time and she would come around. But while Sam, Chad, Fox, Kay, Noah, Fancy, Paloma and a handful of others had offered their support, the majority had shown their displeasure at the turn of events. Rebecca Hotchkiss had been particularly nasty, but Theresa hadn't heeded her words for the most part. Most painful had been her own mother's reaction to the news. Shaking her head, she sighed recalling the blowout that had occurred just two days earlier.

"_Mama!" Theresa smiled as one of the maids ushered Pilar into the living room. Hugging her mother, she quickly pulled away when the hug was not returned. "I'm so glad you're here. I have so much to tell you."_

_"If you're speaking of Ethan, there is no need."_

_"What? How do you know?"_

_"Well, Paloma told me that you and Ethan have reunited. It seems you're finally getting what you always wanted."_

_"Isn't it wonderful, Mama? We're going to be a family!"_

_"Forgive me if I do not share in your enthusiasm." Pilar stated, her tone chilly._

_"Mama, please don't lecture. Don't ruin this for me. Can't you just be happy for me for once?"_

_"It is hard for me to be happy, to support you in this, when your happiness is at the expense of another woman's happiness. Ethan and Gwen took vows, mija. A sacred oath, in church before God. And you destroyed those vows just to fulfill your own selfish desires. I'm ashamed that a daughter of mine would be so happy knowing she broke up a marriage."_

_"What Gwen and Ethan had wasn't a marriage, mama. A marriage is something between two people in love. Ethan only married Gwen because she was pregnant, and he thought he owed it to her. He thought that it was the only way to be there for his child. But Ethan loves me, mama. He wants to be with me."_

_"Ethan did the right thing by Gwen and his child. It does not matter how the marriage came about. It did, and you should have respected that, Theresita."_

_"You mean like Gwen respected my engagement to Ethan? Like she respected our wedding? She didn't have any respect for that, didn't care who she hurt, when she and her mother sent Ethan's paternity information to the tabloids. When they made sure that I took the fall for their actions."_

_"Dios mio! Not this again. Theresa, even if Gwen and Rebecca did send the tabloid the information, your relationship with Ethan was still doomed by all your lies. You had the proof of Ethan's paternity on your computer. You could have told him the truth at any time. Maybe if you had been honest with him, things would have worked out differently."_

_"If I had told him…" A bitter laugh escaped Theresa at her mother's words. "If I hadn't listened to you in the first place, mama, I would have told him. YOU are the one who begged, no, more like demanded that I not tell Ethan. I wanted to tell him the truth, but you told me that it wasn't my secret to reveal."_

_"Oh, so now I am to blame for your lies?"_

_"No. But I trusted you when you told me to keep Ethan's paternity from him. I believed, silly me, that you as my mother had my best interests at heart. So I kept the secret. And it cost me everything. Then, when everything blew up in my face, and my world was crumbling around me, you had the audacity to tell me that if I really loved him, I'd have told him the truth. And it's been the same way almost every other time I've taken your advice instead of listening to my heart, and what it was telling me."_

_"You didn't have to listen to me, Theresita. It wouldn't be the first time you disobeyed me."_

_"You're right. I shouldn't have listened to you. Because you were against Ethan and I from the beginning."_

_"That is not true! I was only worried about what would happen to this family if you kept on chasing a ridiculous dream. Once I saw he loved you, I supported you."_

_"No you didn't! You told him that if he loved me, he should leave me and stay with Gwen. Remember that, mama? How could you do that? Why did you wish that kind of pain on me?"_

_"I never wished pain on you, mi hija. Never. I only wanted to spare you the pain you are going through now. Ethan was always going to marry Gwen, and I knew that in the end your heart would be the one broken. I didn't want that for you, and I was trying to do my best to keep our family from falling apart."_

_"But he wasn't going to marry her, mama. He loved me, and it was only after Ethan proposed to me, after we faced down you, and the Crane's and the Hotchkiss' that you decided to support us." Unable to hold back tears of hurt and frustration, Theresa wiped her eyes before continuing. "I love you, mama. All I've ever wanted is for you, Luis, Miguel, and Paloma to be __happy. Now that Papa's back, even though I may not trust him, you're giving him a second __chance. The two of you have the opportunity to try and make what you have work. And I am happy for you. I hope that you get everything you wanted. As my mother, you should want the same for me. But for some reason, you don't."_

_"I do want you to be happy, mija. I want you to find love with someone who has the right to love you. With someone who isn't married."_

_"Well I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I haven't. I am in love with Ethan, and he is in love with me. I guess after papa disappeared, things were so hard that something inside of you hardened. You lost your belief in fate, and that love wins in the end. Maybe you thought you were preparing me for life, trying to prevent me from being hurt. All your warnings and harsh words accomplished was to put doubts in my head about Ethan and I. But true love does win, mama. Ethan and I are together, and I am going to follow my heart, no matter how crazy it seems. I won't let you fill my head with doubts this time."_

_"You've always been a headstrong girl. You never think about the consequences!"_

_"I've thought about the consequences! I just believe that whatever consequences may come, they aren't strong enough to destroy the love Ethan and I have for each other. Please mama, say you'll support Ethan and I."_

_"I…I'm sorry. I cannot support the breaking up of a marriage and a family."_

_"A family? The only family they have is the one Gwen forced him into when she convinced him to steal Jane away from me. Ethan, Jane, Ethan Martin, and I are a family."_

_"I think I should be going now."_

_"Maybe you should. At least for now." Theresa agreed. "But the door is always open if you ever change your mind."_

_Moving to leave, Pilar paused at the entryway of the living room_

_"Despite what you may think, mija, I do love you." And with those words she exited the mansion._

Ethan had found her nearly half an hour later, sitting on the couch in tears. Taking her in his arms, he assured her of his love, and that all her mother would come around. Theresa wasn't so sure. She understood that she was stubborn, and recognized that she got her stubbornness from her mother. When Pilar Lopez-Fitzgerald dug her heels in, there was almost no way to change her mind. And the fact that her mother would not be there for she and her children hurt deeply. However, as she held her daughter in her arms and witnessed the joy on her son's face while he played with the man he considered his father, she knew that what she and Ethan were doing was right. It was fate. All she could do is hope that her mother would someday understand.

Looking down to find that Jane had fallen to sleep, Theresa gently laid her daughter down in her crib, then made her way downstairs, giving the nanny orders to alert her when Jane awakened before heading outside to be with Ethan and her son. Upon opening the door, she was surprised to come face to face with Ivy.

"Um…hello Ivy." She greeted, forcing as much warmth as she could into her voice.

"Hello, Theresa. I was hoping to speak with you."

"What do you want, Mother?" A voice asked from behind Ivy.

"Ethan." Ivy smiled as she turned to face her son. "Good. Things will be so much easier this way. Now I won't have to repeat what I was going to tell Theresa."

Ethan kneeled down until he reached eye level with Ethan Martin.

"Hey Sport, why don't you go to the kitchen while Ivy, your mom and I talk?" He suggested. "I heard Cook mention something earlier about chocolate chip cookies."

"Cool!" The little boy exclaimed, making a bee-line for the kitchen.

Standing back up, grabbing Theresa's hand, Ethan turned to his mother.

"Okay. I'm going to ask you again: what do you want?"

"I want to apologize."

"Apologize?" Ethan repeated incredulously.

"Yes. Apologize. I realize now that I acted horribly." Ivy sighed. "I had no right to say the things I did. You're my son. I love you, and all I want is your happiness. If being with Theresa makes you happy, then I'm just going to have to accept that." She said, turning to Theresa. "I am sorry. I know you have no reason to trust me, and that I've been awful to you. But I hope we can put the past behind us and maybe, with a little work, become friends."

"I'd like that." Theresa responded, smiling warily. As much as she wanted to believe Ivy's words, gut intuition mixed with past experience warned her to be careful.

"Are you serious about this mother?"

"One hundred percent, Ethan. I don't want to lose you."

"Thank you." Ethan smiled, hugging his mother tightly. "This is amazing. I know it won't be easy, but I am so thankful that you are willing to put in the effort."

"Anything for you, son." Ivy returned the hug.

"Isn't this a cozy scene?" A snide voice questioned from the foyer. "One big happy family, is it?" Theresa stiffened noticeably as Rebecca entered the room, glaring at its occupants. "How wonderful everything is working out so splendidly for the two of you. Never mind the fact that my poor daughter is heartbroken. Forget that her dreams have been shattered. That doesn't matter to either of you. Or to you either, I guess, Ivy."

"Rebecca, that's enough." Ivy ordered calmly, walking over to where Rebecca stood, staring the red head down. "I'm sorry that Gwen's been hurt. You know I think of her as a daughter. But this is Ethan's decision. Why don't you crawl back to whatever rock you slithered out of, and leave Ethan and Theresa alone?"

"Well I never!"

"I highly doubt that, Rebecca." Ethan stated, the words slipping out before he could stop them.

"I am not going to stand here and be insulted like this! I'm going to my room. But mark my words, there will be hell to pay for what you have done to my daughter. I'd be very careful if I were you two." Shooting one last glare at the trio, the red head stormed out of the room.

After a brief moment of tense silence, Theresa giggled.

"I can't believe you said that to her, Ethan."

"He was only speaking truth, Theresa." Ivy smiled.

"I know, but still…to say that to her face…" Theresa's amusement was cut short by an unpleasant thought. "She meant what she said, though. She's going to come after us. She'll be looking for blood."

"Let her come." Ethan stated, wrapping her up in his arms. "As long as we stick together, she can't touch us, okay?"

"You're right." Theresa smiled, snuggling into his embrace.

"He is absolutely right, my dear. You two just stand strong."

"Thank you, Mother."

"Just take care of each other, son."

"We will."

"Good."

"Would you like to stay for dinner, Ivy?" Theresa offered.

"Thank you, dear, but I don't think I'll be able to this afternoon. I believe I'll go check on Fancy and then head back home."

"Maybe another time?" Ethan suggested.

"That sounds wonderful. Well, I'll leave the two of you alone and see if I can find your sister."

"Okay. Bye Mother. And thank you again. This means the world to me."

"I know, sweetheart. You're welcome. Take care you two."

Departing from the living room, making her way up the stairs, Ivy was less than surprised when she was accosted by a furious looking Rebecca.

"I cannot believe you are going to just sit back and allow this to happen. I thought you out of all of us despised Theresa the most."

"I do!"

"Then what are you doing acting all buddy buddy with the slut?"

"Have you ever heard of the saying 'Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer'?"

"Oooh." A look of understanding dawned on Rebecca's face.

"Exactly. Ethan's determined to try and make a go of it with Theresa, and refuses to hear of anyone saying anything against it. If Ethan knew how against this whole disaster I really am, he would cut me out of his life completely. I can't exactly destroy their relationship if I'm not around, now can I?"

"Ivy, I thought I was devious." Rebecca laughed delightedly. "You, however, take the cake."

"Say what you want, but I will do whatever it takes to get that gold digging tramp out of my son's life for good. I think we can put our differences aside long enough to take out the trash, don't you?"

"Of course. Anything to protect my Gwennie's future with the man she loves."

"Good. Then we're agreed. Theresa is going down, and the sooner the better. Now, let's go see Gwen and come up with a plan.

 

Cleaning up the remnants of their lunch with Ethan Martin, Ethan smiled at Theresa across the table, watching as she gathered up the plates to take back to the kitchen. She was worried about something.

"Why the grim face?" He queried.

"Nothing. Everything's fine." Theresa replied, forcing a smile.

"No it's not. Something's bothering you. I can tell because all of the lines are bunching up in your forehead, and you're biting your lower lip. Now talk."

"It really is nothing." Theresa sighed. "I'm just being silly. I keep…" Taking a second to collect her thoughts, she continued. "I keep waiting for the shoe to drop. Everything is starting to work out for me. We're together, the kids are happy and healthy, Alistair is on death's door…it all just seems too good to be true. I'm scared that any minute now I'll wake up and find out that this is just another one of my dreams."

"Sweetie." Ethan put down the glasses he'd been holding, taking the plates from her hands and taking her hands in his. "This is real. It's happening. And you know the best part? This is only the beginning. It's a new start for us. Let's make the most of it."

"You're right. I know you are. I'm sorry for being so insecure. You're probably sick of having to reassure me by now."

"Hey, stop that. Things have never been easy between us. It's only natural for you to have some doubts. I'll reassure however long it takes for you to believe. It's you, me and the kids from here on out. Nothing is going to separate us again."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." A voice remarked from the entryway of the dining room. At the shock of hearing this voice, Theresa paled. It was happening, she thought. The other shoe that she'd spoken of had dropped. And in this instance, the shoe was a lead slipper. "After all, Ethan, we wouldn't want you to make more promises that you can't keep, now would we?"

Face red, fist clenched in anger, Ethan glared at the figure standing before them.

"Go to hell, Alistair."


	8. Chapter 8

Well, here's chapter 8. I want to say thanks to those of you who have reviewed. I appreciate it more than I can express. I'm so glad you're enjoying it, and I love you all. And I'd like to ask all of those who are reading it and haven't left feedback to do so. The more feedback I get, the more inspired I am to write. So if you want more, and you would like updates sooner rather than later please, please, please, take a few moments and leave a review. This is not a demand, and I will still update even if more of you don't review. I'm just letting you know it's easier to get inspired when you receive the right kind of motivation. Thank you. Keep the E/T love alive!

Laura :)

Unconditionally-Chapter 8

It was addicting. The knowledge of having complete control over people's lives. Making them feel powerless. It was a drug, and he was a junkie. He could never get enough of pressing buttons and having the people around him, puppets that they were, dance to his tune. Watching the pair that stood before him, Alistair couldn't help but revel in the pure hatred that shone in his former grandson's eyes, and the sheer terror written all over the face of his young bride.

_You honestly thought you were free, didn't you my dear?_ He gloated silently.

"Now, now, Ethan." he admonished, grinning smugly. "You mustn't let that temper of yours get you into trouble."

"You're not supposed to be here." Theresa whispered, her face ashen. "You were in a coma. Eve said you weren't going to come out of it."

"Is that any way to greet your husband after he's returned from the brink of death?" Alistair mocked. "No kiss, no tears of joy from my young bride?"

"The only tears of joy I'll shed for you is when you are finally dead. I should have known that you were too evil to die that easily." The fiery spirit she'd inherited from her mother came to the surface, allowing Theresa to force the sense of dread that came over her at Alistair's nearness to the back of her mind and focus on the anger she felt coursing through her.

"Yes, you should have." Alistair responded, enjoying the show of bravado. It was one of the reasons he'd chosen her. She was strong, willful. Never accepted no for an answer. She would win, no matter what the cost. The perfect woman to produce the kind of heir he wanted and deserved. The fact that the marriage anguished and infuriated the three people he despised most in the world was a perk of the arrangement he also delighted in.

Closing the distance between them, Alistair pulled Theresa to him, kissing her forcefully, taking pleasure in her futile attempts at resistance. The more she struggled, the more forceful he became. The action had the desired result, as Ethan soon cut short the kiss, pulling he and Theresa apart, wrapping an arm around her protectively. Amusement filled Alistair at the gesture.

"Excuse me, but what right do you have to interrupt a celebration between husband and wife?" he questioned.

"You listen to me, you disgusting, pathetic old man." Ethan stated, placing himself in between Theresa and the man he considered to be only one step above Satan himself. Fixing him with a menacing stare, he continued. "You do not touch her any more. You don't look at her. In fact, you don't even think about her. Leave her alone from here on out. I am not scared of you, Alistair. Don't make the mistake of thinking I am."

"I don't really think that's your decision. Theresa is my wife, and I'll do what I please to her. I don't need your permission. Never forget, Ethan, that I have the control here. Not you. So I suggest you use a more respectful tone."

"You son of a-" Ethan exclaimed, pulling his arm back, intending to inflict as much pain as possible on the evil that stood before him.

"Ethan, don't." Theresa pleaded, moving in front of him to block his path.. "Please. Just let it go."

Smiling at the chaos and the roiling emotions he could feel swirling around the room, Alistair decided he'd done enough.

"Unfortunately, my boy, I've got more pressing engagements that need attending to than dealing with your disrespect." Giving Theresa one last leering smile, he stated "We'll have to postpone our "celebration" until later this evening my, dear."

Placing a hand on Ethan's shoulder to keep him from another attempt at attacking, Theresa nodded demurely.

"Yes, Alistair."

"Now, if you both will excuse me." With those words, the Crane Patriarch exited the dining room.

Turning to look Theresa in the eyes, Ethan stared silently, an incredulous expression on his face, before finding words.

"'Yes, Alistair'." he mocked angrily. "What the hell was that, Theresa? Why did you protect that depraved, vindictive monster! And why would you agree to "celebrate" with him? Do you want to be with him? What, do you enjoy him raping you?" As soon as the words escaped his mouth, he realized the mistake he'd made.

"Shut up, Ethan!" Theresa yelled, slapping him. "How dare you! I _wasn't_ protecting him! He's a hateful, obscene old man and I wish to God he would have died! I would _never_ protect him. I was protecting you, you ungrateful jerk!" Despite her best efforts to keep the tears at bay, they began to stream down. "I didn't want him to come after you in retaliation for whatever you would have done to him. As usual, I did what I did for you. And as usual, you don't appreciate it."

"I'm sorry, 'Resa." He apologized, taking her into his arms, rubbing her back comfortingly. "So sorry. I don't know what came over me. It just made me so angry to see him treating you that way…touching you like that. And to think of him…" Taking a deep, calming breath, he continued. "After you stopped me, I guess I was frustrated and needed to get my anger out somehow. You were just the easiest target. But I had no right to say what I did, or to act that way. Please forgive me."

Returning the embrace, Theresa sighed as the tears came to an end, pulling back to look at Ethan face to face.

"It's okay. I just…please have more faith in me, Ethan. We have to believe in each other, believe in our love, if we are going to make it."

"You're right. And I promise I'll have more faith from now on. I believe in you and in us, 'Resa. I love you."

"I love you too, Ethan. I always have." Casting a glance in the direction Alistair had taken, she shook her head, leaning back into the safety of Ethan's embrace. She knew that there was still Alistair to deal with, and that his return was a complication to an already difficult situation. She recognized the fact that her husband was not going to just let her go. But at that moment, she chose to focus on the man holding her in his arms. She would worry about the repercussions and whatever devious scheme Alistair was cooking up later.

_Fate won't let us down this time. _She assured herself. _It'll all work out. It has to._

_

* * *

"Mother, what are you doing here?" Gwen asked, arriving at the door to Alistair's office_

and finding her mother waiting. "What's going on here?"

"Sweetheart, I honestly do not know. I just got a message saying I was supposed to come for some sort of meeting."

"That's why I'm here, too."

"That makes three of us." Ivy spoke as she came into view. "I don't like this. I don't even know why I came, except that the note said it was important, and would affect my future and Ethan's future."

"I don't like it either." Gwen agreed. "But I think we should just go in, see who is doing this, what they want, and move on from there. This is probably just another one of Theresa's stunts, and if it is, we can just walk away and deal with her later."

"Well then, let's see what this is all about." Ivy declared, opening the door.

The three women paled at the sight before them.

"Alistair?" Ivy gasped. "But you're-"

"In a coma? Dying? Sorry to disappoint you ladies, but I've made a miraculous recovery." His sinister laugh at the shocked look on his guests faces sent a chill down their spines.

"What do you want, Alistair?" Rebecca asked, refusing to show fear.

"I want to help you. All three of you. Gwen, you want to salvage your marriage, and you would do anything to beat Theresa. Rebecca, you may be a selfish slut, but in your own way you do love Gwen and want her to be happy. Not to mention the shame of having everyone know that your daughter lost her husband to the housekeeper's daughter. And Ivy, well, you're the classic meddling mother. You think you know what's best. Theresa's just not good enough for your golden boy son, no matter that she makes him happy. All three of you hate Theresa, and want to keep her away from Ethan. I'm offering to grant that wish, if you agree to work with me. So, what do you say?"

"What do we have to do? What is agreeing to this going to cost us? You never do something for nothing, Alistair." Rebecca stated. "What's in it for you?"

"Helping you helps me."

"Why am I not surprised." Ivy scoffed.

"It's no secret that I loathe Ethan, and would do anything to destroy him. I want Theresa to myself. She's mine, and I am sick of his excessive involvement with my wife. This arrangement benefits all of us. All you ladies have to do is follow my direction."

"I don't think we can trust you. You aren't known for keeping your end of the bargain."

"Gwen, Gwen, Gwen. I always keep my end of the bargain. My methods may be unorthodox, but you have to admit, I always get results. Do what I tell you when I tell you, and soon Ethan and Theresa will be ripped apart…permanently. Everyone wins. Except, Ethan and Theresa, that is." He gave each of them an appraising look, gauging their reaction to his proposal.

_They can't resist._ Alistair smiled to himself, knowing they would give in.

"Okay." Gwen relented. "I'm in. I'll do it."

"Gwennie, are you sure?" Rebecca questioned.

"Mother, if it would get me Ethan back, if it would destroy Theresa, I would sell my soul to the devil himself. This is pretty close. But it's worth it if I can save my marriage. If it'll bring Ethan back to me, that's all I care about."

"Okay then. I'm in too."

"I will do anything to protect my son from that viper. I'll do it."

"Excellent. I'm happy to hear it."

"What's our first move?" Ivy questioned.

"Just keep doing what you've been doing for now. Ivy, keep pretending to be supportive of the 'happy couple'. We'll need you on the inside when everything comes to play. Gwen, continue playing the part of the spurned, innocent wife. And Rebecca…well, you just be your normal, nasty self. I'll let you know when it's time to make a move. Understand?"

The trio nodded.

"Good. You may go now." Alistair dismissed his newest minions. As the door closed behind them, he let out a self-satisfied laugh. Everything was working out perfectly. They would never know what hit them.

_Dance, puppets, dance._


	9. Chapter 9

Wow…chapter 9. I would like to thank all of you who left feedback. You are amazing and I love you all to pieces! I'm sorry this chapter took so long. My muse ran away from me, and it took two very patient, awesome people to help me get back on track. Yezara, Ally, thanks so much for your help. Ally, I hope this was worth the wait, and I hope you enjoy your entrance into this fic. I hope everyone enjoys the chapter. I will get ten up as soon as I can, and I promise it won't take over 2 months this time, either.

Laura

Unconditionally-Chapter 9

"Where do you think you are going?" An icy voice questioned, stopping Theresa in her tracks. Rolling her eyes, she rotated to find herself on the receiving end of a deadly glare from her nemesis. If she'd had her way, the bleach-blonde terror would have been out of the mansion. But Rebecca was Julian's wife and Gwen was her daughter, and Alistair seemed to have no problem with the living arrangement, so Theresa was forced to keep silent on the issue.

"I'm taking Ethan Martin and Jane to the park, Gwen." Theresa answered, struggling to keep her annoyance in check. "It's a beautiful day out, and I thought it would be nice for them to have some time to play outside instead of being cooped up in the mansion all day."

"You don't have the right to just go off with Jane whenever and wherever you please, Theresa." Gwen stated, smirking. "Jane is still in the legal custody of Ethan and I. You can't take her without permission."

"Then I guess it's a good thing that I have 'permission' from Ethan, isn't it?" Theresa responded, smiling. "He knows what I'm doing with our daughter, and in fact, he's the one who suggested it."

"Ethan suggested it." Gwen repeated, the smirk now nowhere to be found.

"Yes, he did. He wantsLittle Ethanand Jane to have some time together. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to take my children to the park."

"You can't watch the two of them by yourself." Gwen objected.

"Of course I can." Theresa responded, allowing her frustration to filter into her voice. "It's not like I haven't taken my children to the park before."

"But they can be a handful, and you aren't the most watchful person, Theresa." the blonde sniped, covering her maliciousness with a thin veneer of concern. "Someone should go with you."

_That's it. _Theresa thought, all thoughts of self-restraint vanishing into thin air. _She has insulted my ability as a mother for the last time. _Her hands clenched into fists, Theresa was seconds away from throwing a punch, when a cheerful voice coming from the stairway brought her back to sanity.

"I'm going with her." Ally, the children's nanny, announced as she reached the bottom of the staircase. Approaching the group, she smiled at the children, ruffling Ethan Martin's hair affectionately, then shifted her attention to Theresa and Gwen. "Ready when you are, Mrs. Crane. Sorry it took me so long."

"That…that's alright." Theresa responded, covering her surprise at the intervention. She winced as she observed Gwen transferring her hate-filled glare to Ally. Deciding to pull her own intervention, she placed herself between Gwen and Ally, smiling at the nanny.

"Well, if you're ready to go, I say we get out of here. Ready guys?" She asked cheerfully, laughing softly when Ethan Martin nodded excitedly.

"Let's go mommy!" He exclaimed.

"Wait just one second!" Gwen objected.

"Later, Gwen." Theresa responded, taking Ethan Martin's hand and allowing Ally to take control of the stroller. With that they walked out the door, leaving an outraged Gwen behind.

"Thank you, Ally. I really appreciate you stepping in. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't."

"Always happy to help, Mrs. Crane." Ally responded.

"Call me Theresa."

"Okay." Looking beyond her, the nanny smiled. "Isn't that your sister pulling into the driveway, Theresa?"

Turning to see what Ally was talking about, Theresa smiled.

"Paloma!" she exclaimed, rushing over and hugging her baby sister. "It's so good to see you. What are you doing here, hermana? I thought you worked today."

"I'm here to visit you, of course!" Paloma answered, laughing as Ethan Martin jumped into her arms. "Hey there, little man." she greeted the little boy with a hug, swinging him around before sitting him back down. "And as for work, another girl has her anniversary with her husband tomorrow, and asked if we could switch. I thought I could use this time to kidnap you for lunch, but it looks like you're already busy."

"We're going to the park. Care to come with us?" Theresa offered.

"That sounds like fun."

"Great."

Introducing Ally and Paloma to one another, the group piled in the car and headed to the park.

* * *

Watching her sister play with her children, Paloma Lopez-Fitzgerald smiled. Despite their rocky beginning upon her return to Harmony, she loved her older sister, and wanted her to be happy. The look of joy on her face as she played with Ethan Martin and Jane was one that she had feared she'd never get to see.

She'd been thrilled when she'd heard about Ethan's decision to follow his heart. But with Alistair's return, she could not ignore the deep-down fear she felt for Theresa. She'd heard stories of what he was like, and had been witness to some of his evil. The stories from her mother of what he had done to her sister were enough to make her sick.

Seeing Theresa hug Ethan Martin and Jane, leaving them in Ally's care and heading over to sit on a bench to rest, Paloma joined her.

"Little Ethan has a lot of energy." She commented.

"That he does." Theresa grinned in response. "I'm glad you came with us, Sis."

"I am too. How have you been, hermana?" Paloma questioned, deciding on the direct approach. "I know a lot has happened in the last month or so."

"I've been…okay." Came the careful reply. "Things with Ethan are going well. He's filed for divorce, and although Gwen is fighting tooth and nail, it's only a matter of time before it goes through."

"That's great, Theresa. Have you and he…."

Laughing, Theresa shook her head.

"Not that it's any of your business, my nosy little sister, but no, we haven't. Not yet. Things are too complicated right now. We both want things to be right. Ethan is still married to Gwen, and I'm still married to Alistair."

Pausing to consider her next question, Paloma continued.

"What about Alistair?"

Theresa, startled by the bluntness of the inquiry, could only stare out at the scenery, as she attempted to formulate the right words.

"Fortunately for me, he's been too busy with whatever his latest heinous scheme is to attempt to enforce me to do my 'wifely duties'. He hasn't tried anything since he's been back. Nearly a week, and nothing. Part of me is relieved, and part of me is terrified, knowing that at any moment he could make up his mind that he wants to and…." Shaking her head, she sighed. "Agreeing to marry Alistair was the biggest mistake of my life. I don't know how I'm going to get out, how things are going to work out."

"Why don't you just leave, Theresa? You and Ethan, you could just take the children and run. Make a family, make a life together." Paloma encouraged. "No one would blame you, hermana. And if they did, they would just have to get over it!"

Theresa smiled at the romanticism of the words, and the supportive spunk that was characteristic of all the Lopez-Fitzgeralds.

"That sounds amazing, Paloma. There's nothing more I would like than to disappear and be a family with Ethan and the children. But running wouldn't solve anything. Because no matter how far or fast we would run, Alistair would eventually catch us. And he wouldn't take his anger at our running out on me. He'd take it out on Little Ethan. He'd leave Ethan, Jane and I alone, and take Little Ethan away. I'd never see my son again. I can't do that to my little boy. I won't. I have to protect him, no matter how much it kills me."

"I'm sorry, Theresa." Paloma said, hugging her sister, offering what comfort she could give.

"It's okay." Theresa replied, returning the hug. "Things may feel a bit hopeless right now, but I still have to believe that Fate has a plan. If there wasn't, if God didn't mean for things to work out in the end, then Ethan wouldn't have come to his senses. He would still be with Gwen."

"Now that's the big sister I know and love." Paloma smiled. "Ever the optimist, no matter what."

"That's right, and don't you forget it." Standing and stretching, Theresa motioned to Ally to bring the children over. "I'm thinking the Book Café for lunch." She declared, taking Jane into her arms. "Who's with me?"

At the cheers from Ethan Martin, Paloma chuckled. As they made their way back to the car, she silently promised herself that she would do whatever it took to help her big sister. She deserved it.

* * *

Pulling a brush through her hair, completing her nightly pre-bedtime ritual, Theresa couldn't help but feel apprehensive. She knew, as she told Paloma, that it was only a matter of time before Alistair decided to enforce his 'husbandly rights'. And she didn't know what she was going to do when that happened. Setting the brush down, she sighed.

"I guess I'll just cross that bridge when I come to it." She muttered to herself, turning off the lights and crawling into bed. "I just hope my luck holds up."

She had just fallen into a light sleep when she heard the creak of her bedroom door, followed seconds later by the feeling of someone else entering her bed.

_Please be Ethan, please be Ethan, please be Ethan_. She thought desperately, refusing to open her eyes. When rough hands gripped her shoulders, shaking her violently, she realized with horror that her luck had run out.

* * *

_She looks beautiful like this_. Alistair mused, enjoying the terror in his wife's eyes as they opened. If there wasn't a plan to set into motion, he might have allowed himself more time to savor her fear. But there was, so he continued.

"Time to wake up, Sleeping Beauty." He decreed, smirking evilly. "Your husband is lonely, and he wants your…special attentions."

"Not tonight." Theresa responded with false bravado. "I'm tired Alistair. In case you didn't notice, I was trying to get some sleep."

"Oh, I noticed that. But I do not care whether or not you are tired. I want you, and now."

"Please, don't." she whispered, her eyes pleading with him not to do what she knew was inevitable.

"You can say please all you want, my dear. I will get what I want, even if I have to fight you to get it." With those words he proceeded to rip off her nightgown, causing her to whimper and attempt to pull away, crying out for Alistair to let her go.

"Leave me alone, you monster!" Theresa yelled, doing what she could to fight him off.

At the feeling of a strong hand grasping his shoulder and spinning him around, Alistair almost smiled.

_Ah, the Knight in Shining Armour._ He thought. _Right on time_.

* * *

Ethan had been in his room, studying a book on divorce law in an attempt to find a way to speed up the proceedings between he and Gwen when he heard footsteps in the hallway. Assuming it was the late night help wandering the halls, or the nanny going to check on the children, he shrugged it off and went back to his reading.

_The sooner Gwen and I are divorced, the sooner Theresa and I can focus on finding a way to get her out of her marriage to Alistair. _He thought, smiling at the idea of he, Theresa, and the children being a family.

Moments later, however, his happy reverie was broken by the sound of a terrified voice yelling for someone to let them go.

"Theresa." Ethan whispered, shooting out his chair and making a beeline for her room. The sight he found upon entering the room sickened and angered him. Seeing Theresa standing there, her nightgown in shreds, her voice full of terror as she yelled at Alistair to leave her alone, filled Ethan with a fury he'd never known before. Spinning the lecherous, despicable old man around, Ethan didn't think before laying into him, unleashing all his hatred into a series of devastating punches. Only the feeling of Theresa's hand pulling him back, and the sound of her voice begging him to stop before he killed the old man, convinced him to stop.

"I warned you, you sick SOB!" He roared at the fallen man. "I told you that you weren't ever to touch her again. You should have listened."

Taking a deep, cleansing breath, he turned to Theresa, gently pulling her into his arms, uncaring of the servants who had gathered at hearing the commotion.

"Are you alright?" He questioned tenderly. "He didn't…"

"No." Theresa shook her head, clinging tightly to him, needing his warmth and comfort. "He didn't get that far before you walked in."

Realizing fully what had happened, and what it could mean, Theresa paled, pulling away.

"You've got to leave." She told Ethan. "You can't be here when he wakes up."

"Why not? I'm not scared of him Theresa." Ethan assured her.

"But I am!" She cried. "Alistair's not just going to accept what you've done to him, Ethan. He's going to want revenge, and he's going to want blood. I can convince him not to have you killed, only to fire you from Crane, but only if you leave, and leave now."

"I'm not going to leave you here to his mercies. I love you. I want to protect you."

"And I love you, Ethan. This is my way of protecting you. Jane needs both of her parents, and I need the man I love with all of my heart and soul to be safe. Please, Ethan, take Jane and go."

"But what if he tries to hurt you again?"

"I'm going to have to take care of myself. I know I can do it. But for now, the most important thing is making sure that you're okay. I can't survive this marriage with Alistair if you're not safe, Ethan."

Taking a moment to think things through, Ethan sighed.

"Okay. If it means that much to you…I'll go. But I'm only a phone call away if you need me. I don't care what time it is, where I'm at. You call, and I'll be here."

"I'm counting on that." Kissing him, wrapping her arms around him, Theresa fought back tears. She knew it was what had to be done, but that didn't stop the fear she felt at being without Ethan in the mansion. Pulling away, she ordered the servants to take Alistair to the mansion's hospital wing.

"I'll have Ally help me get Jane ready while you're getting your things together."

Nodding, Ethan gave her one last kiss before exiting the room. Coming face to face with Gwen, he bit back a sigh.

"What happened?" Gwen questioned, concerned.

"I caught Alistair trying to rape Theresa and I stopped him. Jane and I will be leaving shortly." Moving past her on the way to his room, he stopped at his doorway when he heard her declare:

"I'll go with you."

"No, you won't. That's not necessary. Stay here with your mother."

"I'm not just going to let you leave with my daughter, Ethan." Gwen stated icily.

"You're right, you won't."

"I'm glad you understand."

"You won't let me leave with your daughter because you don't have any control over the matter and because Jane isn't your daughter. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to pack." With that, he entered his room and made quick work of packing.

* * *

It was midnight when there was a knock on the door of the Bennett home. Unable to sleep, Ivy answered, surprised to see her son and granddaughter.

"Ethan, what are you doing here so late? Is something wrong?" She questioned.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you guys, mom. I got into it with Alistair, and Theresa thought it would be best if I wasn't living in the mansion right now. Would you mind if Jane and I stayed here for a while?"

"Of course not." Ivy assured, moving to give them entrance into she and Sam's home. "Come in, come in. You can stay as long as you like. What do you mean you got into it with Alistair?"

"If you don't mind, can I explain it in the morning? It really is late, and Jane and I need some sleep."

"Of course. You know where the guest room is, and you can put Jane in the room we have made up for when she stays with us. We'll speak in the morning."

Hugging her son and kissing her grandchild goodnight, Ivy shook her head, watching the pair head up the stairs.

_When Alistair told me to be ready at any time, he meant business._ She thought, realizing that whatever happened must be part of his plan. _Let the games begin_.


End file.
